Born in Reykjavík, Iceland, Thorgerdur began her music studies at the age of seven.
In 1965–1967 she studied musicology and choral conducting at the master’s level at the University of Illinois, USA.
She has described her work as being not only about music, but about forming and educating young people in the widest sense.
Among the conductors the choir has worked with in collaboration with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra are Osmo Vänskä, Jean-Pierre Jacquillat, Tõnu Kaljuste, Eva Ollikainen, and Daníel Bjarnason.
With her choirs, Þorgerður has led the annual Walk for Peace in Reykjavík since 1979, and for decades they have visited hospitals and hospices during the Advent season.
The Hamrahlid College Choir sang a televised Christmas Evensong with the Bishop of Iceland in 1974–1980.
[4] She has also given concerts at the Reykjavík Dark Music Days Festival 12 times, starting in 1983.
[1] Under Þorgerður’s direction, the Hamrahlíð Choirs have made many recordings for television and radio, both in Iceland and abroad.
[7][8] The Hamrahlid Choir, under Þorgerður’s direction, sang on Björk’s album, Utopia, released in 2017.
[9] The CD Come and Be Joyful, released in December 2020, contains Icelandic choral music that was part of their contribution to the Cornucopia concerts.